The Past
by Moviemuncher
Summary: Sequel to The Schizo. What ever happened in the past, stays in the past right?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1.

A/N: Rocky had a son Robert. Well as Rocky's past is AU I'm going to do a fic based on that. With many surprises. Again most characters are ooc and the past is AU, Especially Barneys, Rambo's and Rocky's. Also if you haven't read the first fic to this 'The Schizo' then you might get confused as there may be some references to events in the first one. So it's probably necessary to read the first.

Tool and Mickey were sat together. Mickey was drinking soda while Tool was sipping beer.

"You know Rocky's real name is Robert Balboa, and he has a son" Mickey told him mournfully.

"What!" Tool spluttered spitting out his mouthful of beer.

"Yeah Robert Balboa Jr. He would have been twenty-six last week"

"Would?" Tool asked calming down.

"Yeah he was murdered three years ago by a biker gang, shot to the heart. If only they had attacked him instead of being cowards and shooting him"

"What do you mean "if only they would have attacked him" he would have died an even more painful death" Tool asked in quiet outrage.

"He was the son of one of the best boxers the world has ever seen, he was taught self defence. He knew how to disarm a knife or knock someone out quickly. I could have sworn not only Rocky taught him that, I could have sworn the way his voice changed it was Barney" Mickey told him angered Tool had assumed he had wanted a painful death for Robert.

"Sorry it was just the way you said it, jeez are we going to tell 'im?"

Mickey knew he was referring to both Rocky and Barney. Possibly Rambo.

"Yes" Mickey said.

"It's only fair" he finished.

Barney and the team had gotten back from their mission over a week ago. Now the stress had worn off Barney started switching less and less. But mostly if he did he was Rocky nowadays. It seemed Rambo was like a reaction to possible danger but even then not always. Barney could handle himself.

"Hey brother" Tool greeted Gunnar as the tall Swede walked in.

"Hey Yin" Mickey acknowledged Yin who had followed Gunnar in.

"Hey" Gunnar replied while Yin just nodded.

"Where are the others?" Tool asked them.

"Uh here, there and everywhere" Gunnar offered.

"Go get 'em tell Barney he has to be here and no he cannot just pop out for five minutes" Tool ordered them.

Gunner lumbered out, Yin practically skipping compared to him, to find the others.

"Right now?" Mickey asked in mild shock.

"Yeah secrets like this shouldn't be kept"

Gunnar returned ten minutes later with the others including Barney, with Yin bringing up the rear.

"Hi brothers, we have some bad news" Tool told them forlornly.

"Yeah, it's been three years since Robert Balboa Jr died" Mickey said, tears leaking from his eyes.

It took a minute for Barney to process. He'd had a son, Robert Jr, he couldn't believe and he was dead. Clouds overtook his mind leaving him in a misty fog, until he couldn't see no more.

"Barney!" Tool yelled as his friend passed out. He had noticed the bags under Barney's eyes recently, the way he took caffeine pills instead of an hours sleep. Clearly this had been the last straw, the final blow so to speak.

"It's Rocky"

"Eh, sorry Rocky come on get up" Tool helped Rocky up. Its convenient thought Tool but in a way worse.

"Rocky first of all, you're not really Rocky Balboa, you are Barney Ross you are schizophrenic and don't panic because you are you and nothing bad happens when you change or whatever, you won't be alone at any rate" Tool told him. Rocky frowned but he wasn't confused, in fact a look of understanding crossed his face. But he still sunk down on the side.

"Okay, but that's not it is it, you've got something else to tell me" Rocky told them.

The other guys had exchanged looks of horror when Mickey revealed that shocking fact. They felt so sorry for Barney and Rocky.

"Uh Rocky you know that Junior would have turned twenty-six last week?"

"Course, how would I forget my son's birthday?"

"Yeah, well... I'm so sorry, he was murdered three years ago, a biker gang in Philadelphia-" Mickey choked off in a sob.

"Wha- My son, killed?" Rocky said distraught. He looked sad, horrified, mystified and pure and utter hate.

"By a biker gang" He finished, "By a bloody biker gang, that biker gang wouldn't happen to have a sickle and a knife logo?" Rocky spat.

"Yeah" wailed Mickey. Rocky pulled Mickey into a hug. His eyes swore revenge. It was a massive change from the Rocky they knew. It was more Barney when Vilain killed Billy, vengeful.

"The cut throats" Rocky concluded.

"How do you know?" Mickey hiccupped.

"I worked for them remember, they are loan sharks I was the collector" Rocky told him.

"And now I'm going to finish them" Rambo growled in his Bowie accent releasing Mickey.

"They killed Rocky's son and now I'm going to kill them"

"Wait how do you remember?"

"I know I'm schizophrenic, I read the profile Tool made for Barney a few years ago, and actually I can remember the last ten minutes. When grief strikes us hard we can remember because it affects us so badly, it brings all three of us to light" Rambo told them. It didn't really make sense to them but they kinda got it.

It was a three man team with one body. Looking out for each other. All could kick your ass and you would feel it to the end of time. Or until you die in a split second.

"We are so sorry" Lee told him. He and Rambo didn't always get along but for some reason other than Tool, Rambo would listen to him, not always but sometimes.

"No you are not, but they will be".

A/N: Short first chapter. Hope it was good enough to follow the first fic in this universe. Thank you for all my loyal readers and hopefully you have come back to read my new fic. The Past.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

A/N: Hello again, thank you to those who have read and reviewed so far.

Rambo once again looked confused and switched to a grieving, distraught face. No doubt Rocky, he looked so crushed that Gunnar came forwards and put his hand on Rocky's shoulder and just rubbed gently, slowly.

"Are you okay? God that's a stupid question, course you're not" Gunnar fumbled with the question everyone was thinking.

"I'm fine, one problem though" Rocky looked up, straight at Mickey and said, "The beast is back"

Mickey paled. Everyone else looked in shock at the pair.

"No Rocky you can't return to the ring, The Line was the last, you swore, you swore to me and to Adrian"

Rocky looked even more crushed at the mention of "Adrian". The guys had never heard of someone called Adrian.

"Who's Adrian?" Tool asked tentatively.

"My wife"

"You're deceased wife, Rocky let it go, Adrian and Robbie are gone, not you too" Mickey begged.

The others gasped quietly in shock. Bar-Rocky had lost his wife too. They hadn't even known he was married.

"If that's what it takes, then yes, me too" Rocky told Mickey firmly.

"You are with me or you are against me, I'm going to Philadelphia tonight" Rocky completed his statement.

"I'm with you" Gunnar said surely.

"Me too, friends fight together" Yin added. Lee looked uneasily at Mickey.

"I'm with 'em" Lee declared.

"Oh forget it! We are all with you" Caesar proclaimed. Toll nodded affirmatively.

"That includes me, you in?" Tool asked Mickey.

"Fine, but before you do anything, train as hard as you can. You are not leaving tonight, next week" Mickey conditioned.

"Fine but I ain't stopping for no one, I will train all week and you will not stop me" The authority in Rocky's voice had everyone nodding in agreement. Albeit reluctantly in some places.

Rocky walked out and began to jog. Gunnar followed; he was going to help his friend train no matter what. He caught up with Rocky who despite his age and bulk could still move fast in a straight line. In the ring he was slow, but on the move no one could beat him. Well maybe Yin or Lee but still age was on their side.

"What are you doing?" asked Rocky.

"Helping you, I'm going to help you train" Gunnar told him matter of factly.

Rocky just focused on jogging once more, inside though delight and guilt were swirling around his mind. Guilt for the way he treated Mickey and delight because they were behind him no matter what and Gunnar was at his side.

"Good, I need a sparring partner, Yin is good, but the bar might be set too high on this one if you know what I mean"

Gunnar laughed, "Literally"

Rocky laughed. He couldn't help it. Grief was eating him up. But he was changing it into anger and anger was turned into determination which was better than wallowing in self pity and sorrow for his son. Something occurred to him. He and Gazzo left on good terms, so why kill his son? Didn't matter, when he killed- beat Gazzo he would ask the survivors of his onslaught. He thought back to his slip up, would he kill Gazzo who had done wrong to him, unlike Drago who had killed Apollo just for being in the ring, yes he could but he wouldn't. Same way he didn't kill Drago. No, he would just box him within an inch of his life.

"No kidding" he added grinning.

He and Gunnar continued to jog for another hour before heading back to Tools. Altogether they spent three and a half miles at a constant jog.

"You took your time" commented Lee to which Barney scoffed and said;

"You should have been in Russia while I was training, you wouldn't be saying that then"

"Why? How long did you jog for then?"

"I didn't jog, I ran up the mountains"

"Whoa! No way" Lee said.

"Uh yes way, I did everything naturally, no equipment. Just a horse cart, hay bales and chopping logs for strength building. Running for cardio" Rocky told him matter of factly.

"Horse cart?" asked Toll. He had never heard of a sportsman do such a thing.

"Yeah, Paulie and the others would sit in the cart and I would lift it up"

"How many were in the cart?"

"Three men, it wasn't so difficult then, couldn't do it now though. Maybe the horse cart on its own"

"Nah no way any man at around forty could do that" Toll said matter of fact.

"He could, he could, I'll swear blind!" Mickey exclaimed proudly.

Caesar shook his head in disbelief, and then he looked at the TV time's magazine and did a double take. Rocky: A tribute at 17:00 on Sports channel. He marked it on the magazine he was watching that. And he was recording it for whoever missed the first show.

"C'mon Gunnar, I want to spar" Rocky told him, "Then I'll do some weights"

Rocky started to stretch, using his whole body. Not unlike a wrestler would do before a match.

"Yeah don't forget what Apollo told you" Mickey said a hint of sadness creeping through his words.

"No worries, my friend will not be forgotten and neither will his advice. Don't forget he beat me a few times"

"He used to beat you more than just a "few" times" Mickey said.

The others sensed the grief in the words when they spoke of 'Apollo'.

Still one must have been oblivious because;

"Who was Apollo?" asked Toll.

"My friend, he was killed by Drago in the ring. Thought he could take it but an uppercut from the Russian broke his neck" Rocky deadpanned.

Everyone winced. It seemed who ever Rocky knew died.

"Who was Paulie?" asked Lee trying to change the subject.

"Adrian's brother, he's fine as far as I know?" Rocky looked at Mickey before finishing his sentence raising his eyebrow.

"Yeah Paulie is fine, married off and got a kid last time I saw him" Mickey informed him.

The team blew sighs of relief as quietly as possible.

"Anyway, sparring time" Rocky told Gunnar.

"Sure you're ready?" asked Gunnar cockily.

"I've beaten scarier, bigger men then you" Rocky said defiantly yet with a smile.

"Oh yeah?"  
"Hell yeah".

They both stepped into a makeshift ring formed by the bikes and furniture. Once again wraps were brought out, but this time Mickey counted them in.

"1...2...3...GO!"

They both jogged to the centre of the ring and before Gunnar could process what had happened Rocky had punched him one, two, three times using the jab punch to wind him.

Gunnar retaliated. Sure Rocky was fast but once again strength was more Rocky's thing.

He punched Rocky on the right shoulder making it weaker. Ha, he thought. I have the upper hand, because I have limited the use of his right arm.

Mickey laughed out loud. He had caught onto Gunnar smug look. But what he didn't know could hurt him.

Rocky also smiled and pounded Gunnar in the stomach with his left hand and defending himself with his practically useless right. Yes it hurt to move it but he would recover shortly.

Rocky swung another punch in all his South Paw glory right in Gunnar chest pushing him backwards.

Gunnar came forwards again and tried to punch Rocky's left shoulder but while Rocky wasn't fast enough to dodge completely he diverted the hit back to his right but this time on his chest.

"Round 1 over" Mickey declared.

"What this is only sparring no rounds!" Rocky declared. Mickey glared at him and gestured him over to a corner.

"Fine, round one over" Rocky said. He stomped off to his corner and Gunnar to the other. They both sat down swiftly.

Mickey came over with some water for Rocky while Tool did the same for Gunnar.

The team flocked to Gunnar.

"Still cocky?" asked Lee.

Gunnar looked at him.

"No" he said simply, "I hit him practically as hard as I would hit to knock one out on his right shoulder and he barely flinched. No he has too much stamina and strength.

Caesar whispered into his ear.

"You what? A tribute show?" Gunnar replied out loud but still quietly.

"Yeah in an hour".

"Record it. I'm gonna watch it but just in case"

"Ready?" Shouted Mickey once Gunnar actually had a drink.

Gunnar dipped his head.

"One...Two...Three... Go!"

They both charged forwards again. They exchanged soft blows and both dodged building up the tension.

Gunnar didn't expect it, he didn't see it. And he definitely couldn't hear it. But it happened.

Suddenly Rocky's fist shot up and socked him one in the middle of the chest and his arms flew open with the force. Then Rocky was in between his arms, hunched down and punching his stomach before backing away far enough for another blow to the chest.

Gunnar fell backwards onto a motorbike not unlike Yin from earlier.

"Yo I did it Mickey!" Rocky said gleefully. Then concern flashed across his features.

"Yo Gunnar, are you okay?"

"Yeah m'fine"

A/N: Tribute show next chapter I think.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

A/N: Tribute show time! It may seem at odds because I've never written anything like this before. And I've practised. This is the best that I could come up with.

"Aye I'm gonna go get some weights or sumfink' cause there ain't much here is there"

Tool handed him some keys and said;

"Go to Barneys place. That will. Oh the address... eh I dunno I only know where abouts it is but all I know is it's the big farmhouse at the end of town" Tool tried to explain.

"The big black one? I think I know where it is. Passed it on the way up here... Oh forgot about these!" Mickey handed him a credit card.

"That's your credit card. After you left I practically sold everything but the house but I let it out... so you know"

"Cheers" Rocky said genuinely. Rocky turned to leave and go to his/ Barneys place to go train.

"Wait! I want to go" said Lee. No one but Tool had ever actually been inside Barney's farmhouse. They'd been in the barn which had been turned into a plane hangar.

"No you don't" said Tool, "I do". He said it sternly so Lee wouldn't argue. Lee scowled at him.

"Fine" But he perked up when he remembered the tribute show.

"Could I come?" asked Mickey.

"Sure" said Rocky, Tool nodding in approval.

The guys waited until Rocky had driven out the truck to his place. Then they dragged chairs and randomly piled them around the TV to watch the tribute show.

**Tribute Show start:**

"Rocky Balboa disappeared over six years ago. Never found, so every year from now we will show you a tribute to the great Hero"

Pictures of a younger Rocky flashed across the screen. The other gaped in shock; he was just as muscled as Caesar back then.

"Rocky 'The Italian Stallion' Balboa rose from nothing, the dredges of Philadelphia. He took on opponents almost twice his size and skill. Hulk Hogan, Ivan Drago and Apollo Creed, may he rest in peace, are the best of many examples".

The pictures of the men they mentioned flashed across the screen and they flinched. They thought of the pain these men could dish out to someone a lot smaller them.

"We are going to go through some of his best matches... some of his interviews and even interviews with Mickey Goldmill, Adrian Balboa and his son, Robert Balboa jr"

They stared, eyes glued to the TV as pictures of a woman, a boy and clearly a younger Mickey.

"First we are going to give you some history:

Born on the 6th of July 1946 Robert Balboa went to public school in the town of Philadelphia, he never graduated and instead led off into a rather crime based career. A loan collector working for The Cut throats led by a man nicknamed Gazzo. He trained at an old gym that gym was owned by Mickey Goldmill... former boxer trainer, he saw potential in Rocky and trained him. Now we know him as surely the closest thing to a perfect boxer yet"

A tall man with white hair was sat in the middle of a room accompanied by another man with black hair.

"So Ivan Drago, you fought Rocky did you not?"  
"Yes I did" answered the white haired man with a strong Russian accent.

"Was he a tough component?"

"Yes, his stamina was phenomenal... it won him the fight" The Russian sounded disgruntled.

"Mmm, you were declared unbeatable... but Rocky did it. Now let's watch that match..."

Suddenly the camera changed. The quality wasn't all too good but was no worse than what it was in the eighties.

Two boxers were in the ring. One six foot odd and blonde, a huge mountain of muscle, who looked scarily alike Gunnar.

"Woah he looks like you" Lee said shocked.

"I must break you" The blonde giant said to Rocky as the hit their gloves together.

Rocky looked determined.

Dings ding ding!

They saw Drago lumber forward while Rocky darted forward and tried to go through the others defences. But Drago just pounded into Rocky. And he continued to do so through the next thirteen rounds but in the fifteenth round...

Rocky started pummelling the giant. Punch after punch after punch. The giant Russian started to falter until finally he collapsed to Rocky's superior stamina. They saw Rocky thank the audience and were overpowered with respect and awe.

**1 and a half hour later:**

They had seen so many fights now they had lost track, so many interviews they forgot the answers. They hear so much past information that it all blurred into their minds.

And as one they thought: we will help Rocky train, we will get his son's killer. Rocky don't want to kill but sure as hell Barney would and possibly Rambo.

"And now our tribute is at its end we wish you goodbye and don't ever forget the Eye of the Tiger!"

At that the voice drifted off while The Eye of the Tiger by Survivor started playing.

"Good Jesus... that was bloody brilliant" Lee told them.

"No mistake" Yin agreed.

Caesar shook his head in disbelief.

"He says never give up, no matter how hard you get hit... just keep coming back, go at it and that is how you win" Toll said drifting off towards the end.

"I knew he could have done all that now... never mind thirty odd years ago" Gunnar said confidently.

"That's why The Line beat 'im then?"

"Meh I still stand by what I say"

"Sure Gunnar" Lee finished.

A/N: Another short chapter. Sorry! I started watching Rambo 1,2 &3 and got distacted.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

A/N: I am so SORRY. I hated this long wait myself. I tried several times to make a decent chapter four and realised I couldn't literally couldn't. So I waited. I watched all of these movies involved obsessively (including ones by other actors who's movie plots aren't involved just for ideas) but nothing. Also STAILS565 has asked can they (The Expendables Fan-Fiction page on face book) make my fic into Manga. Which I agreed to completely so keep a look out, especially if you like this fic and its predecessor. Still I'm so sorry for the wait.

**Meanwhile (As Tribute show starts):**

Rocky glanced around the house that was his... body-sharer? One third of his soul? Y'know what he meant.

In the corner was a comfy looking, leather couch besides a dark wooded coffee table. In front of it by seven feet and to the left of a window stood a basic but large television. There was also a lot of gym equipment and fold up tables covered in maps, folders of what was possibly case files and pictures of people on colour or in black and white with a moderately sized 'X' through their fore heads.

He approached another room and it opened into a tidier kitchen, it was neat and up to date. Probably. He spotted a portable computer on the dining table but he ignored it and shut the door again. There was one more door and a set of stairs across the room. It was a fairly open-plan place and despite the somewhat cluttered, messy tables it was clean and pleasant.

He tried the other door when he heard Mickey and Tool arguing playfully about which was better, Red Bull or Monster? He scoffed to himself. Gatorade was better than both.

He saw the room was clean and bright. And full of exercise equipment. It was just as large as the front room, it had its own scaled down boxing ring (scaled down by 30%), weights, punching bags and all sorts of boxing training gear. And all modern equipment for different sports too, treadmills, cross-trainer, benches, steps and rowing machines completed the rooms. And of course pull up bars in all styles:

There was a ledge that stuck out 1.6m from the wall and was six feet off the floor. No doubt so he could hang his torso and top part of his legs off and lower and raise himself. Two separate hand holds to help him adapt to using both his arms equally and the basic bar.

Basically he couldn't wait to get started.

-/Two Hours Later (After tribute show finished)/=

Rocky hadn't changed into any of his ego's while doing two hours of cardio training, well endurance cardio exercises such as rowing. He had done eight twelve-minute reps with a three minute break imbetween each. In the breaks he drank plenty of water and a little Gatorade to keep electrolytes up. And glucose energy.

"C'mon Rocky, two hours man. It's seven pm. Surely you want something to eat right? Isn't it good for you or something?" Tool moaned while Mickey looked on proudly, if a little tiredly. He wasn't getting younger and he was already way into his eighties.

"No, it's a little late to eat anything that will prevent me getting enough sleep, or converting it to fat in my sleep and nothing useful over this week" Rocky said. He might go get a protein shake though, hopefully his counter-part kept them.

He stopped.

"Half an hour of muscle building and then I'll have a protein shake and relax" he amended.

"Fine, I'm goin' to watch telly" Tool called over his shoulder as he walked to the couch. He could hear the quiet noise of the television programmes as he trained. The talking voiced reminded him of the old gym and it helped.

He easily lifted the fifty pound weight, he usually hefted more but that was a bad idea since he planned to be asleep in two hours. The exercise on that level would keep him pumped for longer.

Steadily the half hour passed and he mopped his brow down with a towel which he slung over his shoulders too let the cold scratchy fabric cool his the hot spot on the back of his neck.

"You done kid?" Mick asked.

"For now, Imma go get a protein shake or something and relax. Then I'll go bed. What about you and Tool?" Rocky asked.

"Eh, I gotta place to be and I expect Tool will go home. Good night Rock" Mickey said walking over to hug Rocky lightly. It was probably the fifth time it had occurred in their almost forty year friendship. Mick wasn't touchy-feely like Rocky.

"G'night Mick" Rocky said hugging back gently.

"Rocky, I'm going to drop Mick off and go home. Do you need anything? Or would you like to come?" Tool asked stepping to the door also.

"Nah, on both accounts" Rocky said as they left the gym and Rocky followed them to the front door.

They said goodbye and 'see ya tomorrow' etcetera, etcetera and Rocky locked the door before wandering into the kitchen for that shake.

-/Next Day/=

Tool groaned as he slowly and groggily opened his weary eyes and shifted his rested yet still tired body. Maybe he would enjoy a little indulgence today and sleep the whole day.

Bike engines rev in his parlour below.

But then again maybe not, he thinks to himself half exasperated, half grateful something convinced him to get out of bed. He scowled though, as he hefted himself off the bed and reached around in his closet thingy for a shirt. He pulled it on but left his jog bottoms on for now.

It was slightly cold though so he put on the central heating before he took the elevator down; he never took the stairs. Lee was satin the parlour by himself, Tool frowned, what could be up with the baby of the group?

"What's up Christmas?" He called down.

"Oh hey Tool" Lee said ignoring Tool's question.

"What?" He asked again as the elevator stopped. He exited the lift and walked towards Christmas; who was sat on his bike, and sat on his own motorcycle. Well one of them anyway.

"Nothing Tool. But I was wondering, don't you think you should stop Rocky? He can't do a grudge match" Lee looked slightly flustered, Tool frowned sympathetically.

"Well, he's done it before though hasn't he? Ivan Drago. It's not that different" Tool said shrugging.

"Yes it is, this Gazzo, the Cut-Throats whatever, they won't stick to boxing rules will they? They'll shoot him or stab him" Lee protested, and he had a point.

"I know Lee, but even Rocky coped with stuff before and it won't just be him will it? It'll be all of them. Y'know this schizophrenia? Yeah, you know why people develop it?" Tool asked.

"No" Lee stated simply, "but you're going to tell me."

"Damn right, schizophrenics develop the... condition to protect themselves, usually from trauma of the mind but in some rare cases it's so they develop the mindset to protect their body. Now Ross is a soldier with a black heart, he needed Rambo's fierceness to push his heart away and protect his mind from the horrors of war. It didn't quite work because they both suffered PTSD anyway. So his mind tried something different. A family man with a fighting soul. A boxer with heart. And then a big heart for his family, Lee, Barney... well Rocky got a criminal record there y'know because of assault, on many degrees too, and street fighting. Which he won, most of the time and illegal boxing."

Lee still didn't look convinced. Tool sighed loudly.

"Talk to Mick, he can tell you more" Tool frowned disappointed that his friend didn't have enough faith in his bosses.

"No, I'm convinced. I'll just keep my knives ready and a gun in hand. I'm sure the guys'll do the same. Gazzo will fight dirty and apparently so will our Fearless Leader" Lee huffed quietly.

"This little break-down of sorts never happened" Tool promised solemnly.

"Good, and it wasn't a breakdown" Lee protested outraged, good-naturedly of course.

"Yeah, yeah, are you gonna wait here 'til the guys come? Coz I'm going to pick Mick up at one" Tool said. That gave him four hours with Lee, and three with the guys if they come at ten like usual.

"Sure, wonder if any of them have an issue" Lee muttered the last part more to himself.

"Eh, probably. You're a needy group" he joked and dodged Lee's mock punch.

"Look Lee, you can get bulls-eye and all that but I totally outrank you in hand-to-hand and you know it" Tool boasted.

"Yeah and Barney beats you so there" Lee teased.

"Yeah but Barney ain't here to protect you now" Tool said putting on a fake, evil sounding accent with an intimidating chuckle. Well, intimidating if it wasn't one of the guys.

Lee burst out laughing.

Tool did too.

-/Philadelphia, Andy's bar/=

"Gazzo, I got your money" a tall dark haired Caucasian male said.

"Mmm, who from?" Gazzo asked. His grey hair was hidden partially by a beret cap. His sunglasses perched on the end of his nose and he was glaring straight ahead. At Andy's poster of Rocky from thirty years ago. Gazzo was in his late sixties too now, and was probably fitter than when he was thirty.

Since killing Robert, by accident, they though it was Sam O'Neil, they looked remarkably similar from a distance, he had trained up as much as he could, with a little muscle stimulant to help him along the way. He thought Rocky would come for him. It'd been in the news but since they couldn't determine which one did it, except they knew that Gazzo wasn't there, the men's frames from CCTV were too large for it to be him.

But nothing, but Gazzo didn't relax.

"Nathan Hughes, $1,200" his lackey said.

"Good" he held out his hand for the money before sifting out £300 and giving it to his lackey.

He was a cruel man, but he respected those who worked for him, a little. Of course he'd always favoured Balboa and was sorry he killed his son indirectly. But tough, like Rocky would believe that.

-/Mick's hotel 10am/=

Mickey yawned as he awoke. The clock on the bedside table told him it was ten. Time to get dressed, but first shower.

Once he'd finished his shower he pulled on a black t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, and jacket. And his old hat. He smiled nostalgically as he thought of thirty years ago. Already an old man then, and even older now. He was surprised he survived that damn heart attack after Lang.

He had cereal for breakfast, some of that cholesterol removing stuff, on doctors request. Although he had to admit it tasted alright.

-/Barney's place eleven am/=

Barney woke up groggily, must have switched in his sleep.

He looked at the clock on the wall, dammit! Eleven am. Way too much sleep.

He shook his head and quickly got changed into a track suit, something he hadn't worn much of since his fifties.

It was black and simple with grey stripes and the Adidas logo blazoned across it in grey also. He replaced the matching jacket with his old tiger one that Rocky bought years ago with Adrian.

He hadn't worn it in years. Like he hadn't worn his oldest leather one in years.

The taste was all Rocky's but Barney didn't mind, it was all comfortable and mostly practical. Except that old hat, 'specially in winter when it would just blow off.

He smiled though as one of Rocky's memories of snatching it out of the air, hanging half of a bridge while Adrian giggled away beside him.

Rocky had had the life Barney or Rambo never could, but through him they had achieved it. Experienced family life, and lost it.

And with that depressing thought he rushed into his kitchen and had a quick breakfast of some iron enriched cereal thing. And coffee. And a glass of eight large egg proteins.

He finished up and headed out for a jog around the land he owned before going into the gym and doing twenty pull-ups, starting out lightly. Then rowing machines and pectoral fly. He worked at each hard, and built up a bit of sweat, his tiger jacket was hooked up on one of the pull-up bars and his shirt had followed it. He grabbed both, shoved the shirt and pants in the washing basket as he stripped for a hot shower.

Once he was done, he was wearing another tracksuit with the tiger jacket again. This time he left the house and took his truck to Mick's hotel even though it wasn't even half twelve. He beeped his horn and Mick's disapproving face peeked out the window before spotting Barney and waving that he'd be down in a minute.

He was and he walked slowly to the truck.

"Y'know, Tool was s'pose to pick me up" he said.

"I know, jus' get in Mickey" Barney said, Rocky's affection for the man creeping in a little.

_Soft _came Rambo's distinctly rough thoughts.

_Am not_

_I ain't _

Both Rocky and Barney protested.

_Soo aree _Rambo drawled through their mind.

A/N: So what do you think? Is it better or worse writing than before? Do you like the little interaction between the three at the end?

Also by the way, I am bending the schizophrenia condition symptoms and causes to fit the story and not all of it is strictly true.


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